Iona Neill
I decided to apply to Pembroke after the open day – I had visited a number of different colleges but none of them had quite the same welcoming feeling, a feeling which was cemented again during my time at interviews, where I met many more wonderful people and was able to experience more of daily life in college.
Due to Covid the first term at Pembroke was challenging, however in spite of however many lockdowns have occurred during my time here (I think there have been two?), the community has always been supportive, and I was able to make friends regardless of whether or not it was possible to go to bars or clubs, or even in-person tutorials.
My typical day can vary greatly due to how many classes I have to attend, however typically I will spend the morning either in a class or in one of Oxford’s beautiful libraries, and in the afternoon I will either work or play sports – the college boat club is one of the best around and I have met so many people through rowing and the socials they organise. I would also recommend joining a uni-wide society to meet people outside of college, I’ve been able to do so through the Oxford cycling club however there are societies for almost any interest you can think of. My advice to someone thinking of applying to Pembroke would be to keep researching and studying your subject – if you are passionate about your course and ready to dive into college life, then you already have something in common with every person who you will meet there.